Battle of Medhlan

The Battle of Medhlan, also known as the Battle of Mediolanium or Battle of Milan, was an encounter between the Roman Republic and the Gaulish Insubres tribe that took place in 260 BC near the Insubres capital of Medhlan (Milan). The Romans fought well against a numerically superior foe and King Caletios of the Insubres was impaled with a javelin and killed. His forces retreated, and the Romans tenaciously pursued their routed foes.

Background
Roman expansion started around 272 BC after having defeated Pyrrhus of Epirus and his Greek forces. Slowly, the Roman Republic built up armies and fanned out and conquered the Etruscan League's mainland Italian cities and the Greek city-state of Syracuse. Eventually, the Romans looked up north to Gaul, whose invaders incessantly harassed Roman settlers in northern Italia, and the south, where the Carthaginian trading fleets could prove to be a threat.

Rome got its idea to invade the north from King Senorix of Liguria, a friend of theirs who was invaded by the Insubres tribe of Cisalpina. The Roman Senate approved for Lucius Julius Libo to mount an invasion in 263 BC, and it took three years to muster the neccessary forces and to march north. King Caletios of the Insubres wisely broke his siege of Genua and withdrew to his capital of Medhlan, but his tired forces made camp not too far from their base. Rome pursued, with Lucius' smaller army obviously having less to carry and more speed to make. The two sides engaged in battle near the city walls, with Rome on the attack.

Battle
The Roman army, consisting mainly of Hastati legionaries, marched rapidly into battle. Caletios' general Esmerios ordered his men to withdraw uphill to an advantageous position where their slingers could fire off salvos of stones at the Roman troops. The Romans countered with showers of javelins from their pila throwers, and the unprotected Insubres were shot down by the dozen. The Roman legionaries then charged in, with Lucius Libo and his bodyguard infantry charging in with their swords drawn. Eventually, King Caletios arrived with his reinforcements, at which a point that the Romans were getting the better of their foes. Caletios inspired his men and turned the tide, but made a grave error in charging into the hacking and slashing of the warriors and legionaries. The Roman javelin-throwers made a mess of bodies on the field, and Caletios was impaled in the back by a pila. Caletios' death decreased the morale of his losing warriors, who broke off battle and fled. The Romans pursued, but not effectively, as their cavalry had been routed early in the battle.

Aftermath
The Insubres were weakened, and Rome's punitive expedition had reached its goal. However, Libo resumed his attacks and aimed for totally annihilating the Insubres tribe. The Romans besieged Medhlan later that year, and King Caniccios and his army were defeated. The Insubres were conquered by the Romans as Cisalpine Gaul was founded on the ashes of their people.